do 12 step programs and meetings really work for you?

They didn't work for me. I got clean after a decade of drugs through an outpatient program that used the steps, but I've been clean 6 years and haven't been to a single meeting. But that's just me.

they work but u get out of them what u put into them u have to want to b clean

The 12 Steps of AA, after they learned the need to make it a spiritual and not a religious program, were written after having been forged on the anvil of the experience of alcoholic's. The program was intended to deal with the DISEASE of alcoholism. Unfortunately when the money runs out all of these addiction treatment business's tell everyone to attend AA meeting's as they are aware that AA has the greatest, by far, recovery rate for alcoholics and make an assumption that it will work for drugs, gambling, obesity,sexual addictions etc. etc. ad nauseum. The message of AA is how to get sober, stay sober and to carry that message to still suffering alcoholics. That is AA's only message since it's inception date which was Dr Bob's first day of sobriety. It works for alcoholic's. All of the other people who enter AA should understand that you don't fix(change) anything that ain't broken. Since it's inception only one word has been changed, they decided after years of discussion to take the word honest out of "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking" as they understood there was no such thing as an honest alcoholic. Dr Bob once remarked he wished they had used the word only instead of primary when describing AA's purpose. AA is not a home of opinions, it is a simple program that halts the progression of alcoholism and teaches us how to live in the real world.

Clever Boots - great post. You might want to check out SupportGroups.com where you can share opinions, views and stories in a confidential, supportive environment.